Motorized interdental toothbrush

ABSTRACT

A motorized interdental toothbrush includes one or more wires having fixed filaments, and a gage disposed on one end portion of the wires and having an outer diameter equal to or smaller than that of the filaments for limiting the wires and the filaments to engage into the selected interdental spaces between the teeth of the user and for preventing the filaments from being inserted and engaged into the interdental spaces having a relatively smaller width and for preventing the user&#39;s gum from being injured by the greater filaments, and a rotating device may be coupled to rotate and drive the brush device to clean the interdental space.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an interdental toothbrush, and moreparticularly to a motorized interdental toothbrush including a motordriving device coupled to the interdental toothbrush for rotating ordriving the interdental toothbrush and for allowing the interdentalspaces to be suitably cleaned by the motorized interdental toothbrushes.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Typical interdental toothbrushes comprise one or more twisted wireshaving fixed filaments between turns of the wire or wires for insertingor engaging into the interdental spaces between the teeth andparticularly designed for cleaning the hard-to-reach interdental spacesbetween the teeth of the users.

For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,395,943 to Brandli discloses one of thetypical interproximal toothbrushes also comprise one or more twistedwires having fixed filaments between turns of the wire or wires forinserting or engaging into the interdental spaces between the teeth.Normally, two or more brushes or refills having different shapes orsizes or diameters may be provided in one package of the typicalinterproximal toothbrushes.

However, when the interdental toothbrushes of greater sizes or diametersare forced to be inserted or engaged into the interdental spaces havingrelatively smaller sizes or widths, the gum of the user may be hurt orinjured by the interdental toothbrushes. In addition, the twisted wiresmay also have a good chance to hurt or injure the gum of the user whenthe twisted wires of the interdental toothbrushes are not preciselyengaged into the interdental spaces between the teeth.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,691,404 to Tarrson et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,309,596 toSimms, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,488,751 to Gekhter et al. disclose threefurther typical interproximal toothbrushes each comprise a handle, andone or more twisted wires secured to the handle and having fixedfilaments between turns of the wire or wires for allowing theinterproximal toothbrushes to be suitably inserted or engaged into theinterdental spaces between the teeth with the handles.

However, the interdental toothbrushes may not be rotated or driven byany motor driving device and have to be operated manually. In addition,when the fixed filaments of greater sizes or diameters are inadvertentlyforced or inserted or engaged into the interdental spaces havingrelatively smaller sizes or widths, the gum of the user may be seriouslyhurt or injured by the interdental toothbrushes.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,613,258 to Hilfinger et al. discloses a still furthertypical interproximal toothbrush comprising a handle, one or moretwisted wires secured to the handle and having fixed filaments betweenturns of the wire or wires, and a motor drive mechanism for driving thebristle array in oscillating rotary motion about the axis of the stem,and for allowing the interproximal toothbrushes to be suitably insertedor engaged into the interdental spaces between the teeth with thehandles.

However, when the fixed filaments of greater sizes or diameters areinadvertently forced or inserted or engaged into the interdental spaceshaving relatively smaller sizes or widths and when the greater filamentsare rotated relative to the gum and the teeth of the user, the gum ofthe user may be seriously hurt or injured by the interdentaltoothbrushes.

The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate theafore-described disadvantages of the conventional interdentaltoothbrushes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a motorizedinterdental toothbrush including a motor driving means or device coupledto the interdental toothbrush for rotating or driving the interdentaltoothbrush and for allowing the interdental spaces to be suitablycleaned by the motorized interdental toothbrushes.

The other objective of the present invention is to provide a motorizedinterdental toothbrush including a gage for guiding the interdentaltoothbrush to be inserted or engaged into the predetermined or suitableinterdental spaces between the teeth and for preventing the interdentaltoothbrushes of greater sizes or diameters from being inserted orengaged into the interdental spaces having relatively smaller sizes orwidths.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided amotorized interdental toothbrush comprising a brush device including atleast one wire, and a number of filaments disposed on the wire forinserting and engaging into an interdental space between teeth of auser, and a gage disposed on a free end portion of the wire and havingan outer diameter corresponding to that of the filaments for limitingthe wire and the filaments to engage into a predetermined interdentalspace between the teeth of the user and for preventing the filamentsfrom being inserted and engaged into an interdental space having arelatively smaller width and for preventing the user's gum from beinghurt or injured by the filaments, and a rotating device for rotating thebrush device to clean the interdental space between the teeth of theuser.

The rotating device includes a handle, and a motor disposed in thehandle and coupled to the wire of the brush device for rotating anddriving the wire and the filaments of the brush device to clean theinterdental space.

The motor includes a spindle coupled to the wire of the brush device.The rotating device includes one or more batteries disposed in thehandle and coupled to the motor for energizing the motor to rotate thebrush device.

The wire includes a wire segment provided thereon and located betweenthe gage and the filaments. The gage includes an outer diameter equal toor smaller than that of the filaments.

The gage is made of soft materials for preventing the user's gum frombeing hurt and injured by the wire. The gage includes a roundedstructure or a spherical structure for further preventing the user's gumfrom being hurt or injured by the filaments.

Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent from a careful reading of the detailed description providedhereinbelow, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a plan schematic view illustrating the operation of amotorized interdental toothbrush in accordance with the presentinvention for being inserted or engaged into the interdental spacesbetween the teeth of the user;

FIG. 2 is a partial plan schematic view illustrating one of theinterdental toothbrushes;

FIG. 3 is a partial plan schematic view similar to FIG. 2, illustratingthe other interdental toothbrush;

FIG. 4 is a partial plan schematic view similar to FIGS. 2 and 3,illustrating the further interdental toothbrush;

FIG. 5 is a partial plan schematic view similar to FIGS. 2-4,illustrating the still further interdental toothbrush;

FIG. 6 is a partial plan schematic view similar to FIGS. 2-5,illustrating the still further interdental toothbrush; and

FIG. 7 is a partial perspective view illustrating the operation of themotorized interdental toothbrush.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the drawings, and initially to FIGS. 1 and 2, a motorizedinterdental toothbrush 1 in accordance with the present inventioncomprises a brush device 10 including one or more twisted wires 11having fixed filaments 12 disposed or attached between turns of the wireor wires 11 for inserting or engaging into the interdental spaces a or bor c (FIG. 7) between the teeth 80 of the user and particularly designedfor cleaning the hard-to-reach interdental spaces a or b or c betweenthe teeth of the users. The filaments 12 may also be formed into orselected from various kinds of different shapes or contours or sizes ordiameters, such as the ultra fine cylindrical shapes (FIG. 2), the ultrafine tapered shapes (FIG. 3), the cylindrical shapes (FIG. 4), thetapered shapes (FIG. 5), the large cylindrical shapes (FIG. 6), or thelike.

For example, the filaments 12 of the ultra fine cylindrical shapes (FIG.2) may include a size or diameter smaller than that of the cylindricalshapes (FIG. 4) which may include a size or diameter smaller than thatof the large cylindrical shapes (FIG. 6). Similarly, the filaments 12 ofthe ultra fine tapered shapes (FIG. 3) may include a size or diametersmaller than that of the tapered shapes (FIG. 5). Normally, in onerefill package of the interproximal toothbrushes 1, either or some orall of the refills or brush devices 10 of that shown in FIGS. 2-6 mayinclude the filaments 12 of different shapes or sizes or diameters thatmay be selectively provided and contained in the package. The wire orwires 11 and the filaments 12 are typical or conventional and will notbe described in further details.

The first or rear end portion 13 of the wires 11 may be attached to apower or motor driving or rotating means or device 2 which includes ahandle 20 (FIGS. 1, 7) for suitably inserting or engaging the wire orwires 11 and the filaments 12 of the brush devices 10 into either of theinterdental spaces a or b or c between the teeth 80 of the user and formoving or actuating the filaments 12 to clean the interdental spacesbetween the teeth of the users. The brush device 10 of the motorizedinterdental toothbrush 1 in accordance with the present inventionfurther includes a wire segment 14 selectively, but not necessarilyformed or extended or provided on the second or front or free endportion 15 of each of the wires 11 and having no filaments formed orprovided thereon.

A gage 30, 31, 32, 33, 34 is further provided and disposed or attachedto the front portion 15 of each of the wires 11 or of the wire segment14 of each of the wires 11 of the brush devices 10 and arranged forallowing the wire segment 14 to be formed and provided or locatedbetween the gages 30-34 and the filaments 12. The gages 30-34 arepreferably made of soft or rubber or plastic or resilient or othersynthetic materials and includes a rounded or spatial or threedimensional or spherical structure for safely engaging with the user'sgum and for safely inserting or guiding the wire or wires 11 and thefilaments 12 of the brush devices 10 to engage into the interdentalspaces a or b or c between the teeth 80 and thus for preventing the gumof the user from being hurt or injured by the wire or wires 11.

The gages 30-34 each include a size or outer diameter or slightlysmaller than or corresponding to that of the respective filaments 12 forlimiting or guiding the brush devices 10 to be inserted or engaged intothe predetermined or suitable interdental spaces a or b or c between theteeth 80 and for preventing the brush devices 10 of greater sizes ordiameters from being inserted or engaged into the interdental spaces aor b or c having relatively smaller sizes or widths. For example, thegages 30-31 (FIGS. 2, 3) may be inserted or engaged into all of theinterdental spaces a, b, c, but the other greater brush devices 10(FIGS. 4-6) may be prevented from being inserted or engaged into therelatively smaller interdental space b by the gages 32-34.

Similarly, the greater brush devices 10 as shown in FIGS. 4-6 may belimited and guided to be inserted or engaged into the relatively greaterinterdental spaces a, c, except the relatively smaller interdental spaceb by the gages 32-34, and the greatest gage 34 may limit and guide thebrush devices 10 as shown in FIG. 6 to engage into the greatestinterdental spaces c only but not the relatively smaller interdentalspaces a and b, or the greatest gage 34 may limit and prevent the brushdevices 10 as shown in FIG. 6 from being inserted or engaged into therelatively smaller interdental spaces a and b. The gages 32-34 have beendisclosed and claimed in a co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No.11/715,061, filed 6 Mar. 2007.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 7, the power or motor driving or rotating device2 includes a motor 21 disposed or inserted or engaged into the handle20, such as disposed in the front portion 23 of the handle 20 and havinga spindle 22 directly coupled to the wires 11 or indirectly coupled tothe wires 11 of the brush devices 10 with a reduction gearing (notshown) for rotating or driving the wire or wires 11 and the filaments 12of the brush devices 10 to suitably clean the predetermined or suitableor selected interdental spaces a, b, c between the teeth. One or morebatteries 24 may further be provided and disposed or inserted or engagedinto the rear portion 25 of the handle 20 and coupled to the motor 21for energizing or operating or actuating the motor 21 to rotate or driveor operate the wire or wires 11 and the filaments 12 of the brushdevices 10.

The brush devices 10 may thus be limited and guided to be inserted orengaged into only the predetermined or suitable or relatively greaterinterdental spaces between the teeth, and may prevent the brush devices10 of greater sizes or diameters from being inserted or engaged into theinterdental spaces having relatively smaller sizes or widths, and thusmay prevent the gum of the user from being hurt or injured by thefilaments 12 of the brush devices 10 having relatively greater sizes ordiameters. In addition, the rounded or spatial or three dimensional orspherical gages 30-34 may also prevent the gum of the user from beinghurt or injured by the wire or wires 11.

Accordingly, the motorized interdental toothbrush in accordance with thepresent invention includes a motor driving means or device coupled tothe interdental toothbrush for rotating or driving the interdentaltoothbrush and for allowing the interdental spaces to be suitablycleaned by the motorized interdental toothbrushes, and includes a gagefor guiding the interdental toothbrush to be inserted or engaged intothe predetermined or suitable interdental spaces between the teeth andfor preventing the interdental toothbrushes of greater sizes ordiameters from being inserted or engaged into the interdental spaceshaving relatively smaller sizes or widths.

Although this invention has been described with a certain degree ofparticularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure hasbeen made by way of example only and that numerous changes in thedetailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts maybe resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention as hereinafter claimed.

1. A motorized interdental toothbrush comprising: a brush deviceincluding at least one wire, and filaments disposed on said at least onewire for inserting and engaging into an interdental space between teethof a user, and including a gage disposed on a free end portion of saidat least one wire and having an outer diameter substantially equal tothat of said filaments for limiting said at least one wire and saidfilaments to engage into a predetermined interdental space between theteeth of the user and for preventing said filaments from being insertedand engaged into an interdental space having a relatively smaller widthand for preventing the user's gum from being hurt or injured by saidfilaments, and means for rotating said brush device to clean theinterdental space between the teeth of the user.
 2. The motorizedinterdental toothbrush as claimed in claim 1, wherein said rotatingmeans includes a handle, and a motor disposed in said handle and coupledto said at least one wire of said brush device for rotating and drivingsaid at least one wire and said filaments of said brush device to cleanthe interdental space.
 3. The motorized interdental toothbrush asclaimed in claim 2, wherein said motor includes a spindle coupled tosaid at least one wire of said brush device.
 4. The motorizedinterdental toothbrush as claimed in claim 2, wherein said rotatingmeans includes a battery disposed in said handle and coupled to saidmotor for energizing said motor to rotate said brush device.
 5. Themotorized interdental toothbrush as claimed in claim 1, wherein said atleast one wire includes a wire segment provided thereon and locatedbetween said gage and said filaments.
 6. The motorized interdentaltoothbrush as claimed in claim 1, wherein said gage includes an outerdiameter equal to that of said filaments.
 7. The motorized interdentaltoothbrush as claimed in claim 1, wherein said gage includes an outerdiameter smaller than that of said filaments.
 8. The motorizedinterdental toothbrush as claimed in claim 1, wherein said gage is madeof soft materials for preventing the user's gum from being hurt andinjured by said at least one wire.
 9. The motorized interdentaltoothbrush as claimed in claim 1, wherein said gage includes a roundedstructure.
 10. The motorized interdental toothbrush as claimed in claim1, wherein said gage includes a spherical structure.